Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39269569›Full record

SynthesisAdvances in therapy2024

Efficacy and Safety of Alpha-2 Agonists in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review.

Alan D Kaye, Abigail M Green, Joseph Tremblay Claude, Charles P Daniel, Jada F Cooley, Kelly R Sala, Pooja Potharaju, Ross Rieger, Shilpadevi Patil, Shahab Ahmadzadeh and 1 more

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Advances in therapy, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Beyond the Outburst: Charting a New Frontier for Understanding and Treating Irritability in Autistic Adults.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2026
    Review
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Alan D KayeDepartments of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Neurosciences, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, 71103, USA.
Abigail M GreenSchool of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport, LA, 71103, USA.
Joseph Tremblay ClaudeSchool of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport, LA, 71103, USA.
Charles P DanielSchool of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport, LA, 71103, USA.
Jada F CooleySchool of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport, LA, 71103, USA.
Kelly R SalaSchool of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at New Orleans, 2020 Gravier Street, New Orleans, LA, 70113, USA.
Pooja PotharajuDepartment of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, 71103, USA.
Ross RiegerDepartment of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, 71103, USA.
Shilpadevi PatilDepartment of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, 71103, USA.
Shahab AhmadzadehDepartment of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, 71103, USA.
Sahar ShekoohiDepartment of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, 71103, USA. sahar.shekoohi@lsuhs.edu.ORCID 0009-0007-4545-4523

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThis analysis is a systematic literature review assessing efficacy and adverse effects of three alpha-2 agonists for the symptomatic management of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

methodsThe present investigation involved an extensive systematic search for eligible studies in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. Nine studies, collectively incorporating 226 patients, were assessed.

resultsThe results demonstrated promising indications for use of alpha-2 agonists in the symptomatic management of autism spectrum disorders, including improvement of hyperactivity, impulsivity, attention deficit symptoms, irritability, and stereotypies in many of the participants studied.

conclusionThe present investigation encourages physicians to consider treatment outcomes of clonidine, guanfacine, and lofexidine to determine the most effective management of ASD-related symptoms and to minimize adverse effects. However, our review cannot provide definitive treatment protocols related to various study limitations.

Indexed as

Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor AgonistsAutism Spectrum DisorderClonidineGuanfacineAttention Deficit Disorder with HyperactivityHumansTreatment OutcomeAdrenergic alpha-2 Receptor AgonistsClonidineGuanfacineAlpha-2 agonistAutism spectrum disorderClonidineGuanfacineLofexidineNeurodevelopmental disorderPervasive developmental disorder

Identifiers

PMID39269569

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.